Fountain sealing device



Nov. 4 1924.

y w. sms-.s

POUNTAINSEALING DEvcE Filecx Nov. '7

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES WALTER SPIES, OT? NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOUNTAIN SEALING DEVICE.

Application tiled November 7, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER Srms, av citizen of Germany, and a residentof the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Fountain Sealing Device,of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

This invention has relation to sealing devices and has particularreference to an apparatus for melting and applying sealing wax toletters, packages, parcels or the like.

At the present time it is customary to melt the wax over a flame andapply the same while in molten condition to the article to be sealed,and under this practice considerable time and labor is required inaddition to the risk and hazard of fire. Furthermore under this practicethe wax is wasted due to the fact that a uniform application of the sameis impossible and the superfluous wax tends to increase the cost ofpostage.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate theabove recited objections by providing a device which efficiently andeconomically effects the applica` tion of sealing wax to the articles tobe sealed, which device does away with the flame used in melting thesealing wax stick by substituting an electric heating element therefor.

As a further object the invention contemplates a fountain sealing devicewhich includes a manually controlled outlet and which may be employed inthe nature of a pencil for uniformly distributingr and applying the waxto the article to be sealed.

As a still further object the invention contemplates a device of thecharacter described which is extremely simple in its construction,inexpensive to manufacture and which is thoroughly reliable and highlyefficient in lits purpose.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the sealits contents.

Serial No. 599,583.

ing device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken approximately on the line 3 3of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken approximately onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by characters ofreference, the devicecomprises a receptacle 1() which is provided with a lower conical wall11 having a discharge or outlet opening 12 at its apex which also formsa valve seat with which a ball valve 13 coacts to close the same. Theball valve is provided with a valve stem 14 which extends upwardlythrough the upper wall 15 of the receptacles and is provided with spacedenlargements or heads 16 which lie on opposite sides of the slottedportion 17 of the arm 18 of a manipulating lever 19. The arm 18 isprovided with downturned lugs 20 which fulcrum the lever for rockingmovement. A pair of screws 21 extend through the arm 18 and have mountedbetween their heads 22 and the arm coil ,springs 23 which normally rockthe arm and lever to a position to effect the movement and seating ofthe ball valve 13 against the seat or discharge port 12 whereby thereceptacle is closed against the discharge of The upper wall 15 of thereceptacle is provided with an upstanding internally threaded boss 24which receives the lower externally threaded end 25 of a sleeve26,.which sleeve is surrounded by a tubular handle 27 spaced from thesleeve to provide an air chamber 28 between the same and the handle. Thehandle is further provided with apertures 29 located adjacent itsopposite ends to permit of the free circulation of air therebetween forpreventing the heating of the handle. An electric heating element 30surrounds the receptacle 10 and is suitably connected by an extensioncord 31 to an electric heat regulating fitting 32 fromwhich a conduit 33leads to the source of supply. A covering shell 34 is arranged over thereceptacle and the lower end of the handle to guard the heating elementagainst the contact of the same with the person of the user or thearticle which is being sealed.

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The shell is provided with an inner lining of insulating material andsaid shell is formed with a slot 36 through which the manipulating lever19 extends.

Preferably the handle is provided adjacent its upper end with a bail 37by means of which the device may be suspended from a suitable supportsuch as the hooked upper end 38 of a standard' 39vhaving a supportingbase 40. y

In use and operation the sealing wai: `W in stick form is introduced tothe handle through'the sleeve 26. The current is then s upplied to theelectric heating element 30 whereby the receptacle l0 will be heated tomelt t'he'lower end of the stick of sealing wa'X" and maintain the samein a molten condition in the receptacle l0, In sealing letters,packages, yor other articles, thev handle 27 is grasped and the deviceused in the nature of a pencil. To admit of the feeding of the waxthrough the discharge port 12, the manipulating lever 19 is pressedtoward the handle thereby rocking the same against the action of thesprings 23 to unseat the ball valve A13 and permit of the discharge ofthe wax therefrom. The cutting off of the feeding of the44 waxisaccomplished by releasing, the lever, thus permitting the springs 23to seat the valve 13. The circulation of the air through the apertures29 to the air spiace 28 tends to insulate the handle 27 from the sleeve26, thus maintaining the handle cool during the use of the device. Whennot in use the device may be suspended andsupported from a hook orvother supporting element substantially as illustrated. By using adevice of this natfure4 for applying sealing wa-X, it will be found thata great economy is edected as well as reducing the fire hazard andsaving both time and labor. i

I claim:A

.1. a fountain sealing device for receiving, melting and facilitatingthe' application of sealing wan, a heated wax receiving andmeltingchamber having a conical bottom wall provided with a concentric circularopening and an internally arranged ma'n'iially controlled sphericalvalve projecting partially through and cooperating with said dischargeportforrespectively closing and opening the` same and* to constitute afor the device around the surface of which the molten wa-X flows, and bymeans of which it is `applied to the article to be Seele@ t fountainsealing device including a lec'eptacle for receiving and holding aquantity of sealing wax. said receptacle having a conical bottom wallformed with a c encen-tric' circular', discharge port, an electricheating element associated with the receptacle 'for melting l'and`maintaining the wakftherein, in molten' condition, an nternallyarranged manually controlled spherical valve projecting partiallythrough and cooperating with saiddischarge port to constitute means forrespectively closing and opening said port and constituting a pointfors-aid device when the valve is open, around the surface of which themolten wai: flows and by means of which the wax is appliedto the articleto be sealed.

3. An apparatus for receiving, melting and facilitating the applicationof sealing sticks comprising a tubular handle member having an openupper end, an en larged receptacle communicating with the lower endhaving a conical bottom wall provided with a circular axial opening, an'electric heating element` embracing said receptacle whereby a stick ofsealingvwax introduced through the open end of the handle member ismelted and maintained in a molten condition within the receptacle bytheheating element, and an internallv arranged manually controlledspherical valve projecting partially through and cooperating with saidcircular opening to close and open the same and to constitute a pointYfor said device around the surfaceof which the molten wax flows and bymea-ns Lof which `it is applied to the article to be sealed.

il. An apparatus Yfor receiving, melting and facilitating theapplication of sealing wax sticks comprising a tubular handle memberhaving an open upper end, an enlarged receptacle communicating with thelower endahaving a conical bottom wall provided with al circular axialopen-ing, an electric heating element embracing said receptacle wherebya stick of sealing wax introduced through the open end of the handlemember is melted and maintained in a molten condition within thereceptacle by the heating-element, and an internally arranged manuallycontrolled spherical valve projecting partially through and cooperatingwith said circular opening to close and open the same and to constitutea point for said device around the surface of which the molten wax flowsand b v means of which it is applied to the article to be sealed, thesaid tubular handle member having a spaced external jaclretnprovidedwith radial yopenings at its upper and lower ends to permit of thecirculation of air between vtheV jacket and the handle for cooling thesame.'

5, A Ifountain sealing device comprising a hollow head havinga funnelshaped bottom wall provided with a circular concentric vdischarge port,a tubular upstanding handle member having communication therewithcomprising inner and "outer spaced concentric walls, the said outer wallhaving radial openings adjacent its upper and lower ends to permit of acirculation of air between said walls for cooling the handle, a heating`element surrounding said head formelting ico iso

tlm conenls ancl nmlntuining the sume in u molten condition, a coveringjackef; surrounding and protecting the heating element, a ball ValveWithin the funnel shaped bottom Wall of the licad and partiallyprojecting therefrom when in open relation to the discharge port toconstitute u point for Vthe device around the surface of which the.molten wax feeds and the remains of which applied 'lo the article to beSealed, means connected Wil-li Said bull valve `for normally setting the@unie with relaion to the clisport und a manipulating handle connectedwith Said means and located acljacent die lower end of the device forunseating the ball valve with relation to the discharge port.

WALTER SPIES.

